"The problem really isn't the boys," Mr. Rao says. "It's our expectations of them."
Young boys need frequent breaks for physical play and release; they often read and write better standing up than sitting down; many find eye contact threatening; and they naturally prefer "doing" and "seeing" over "listening" and "talking," he says.

But little of what they crave in terms of learning styles and physical needs fits into the traditional preschool or school day, where physical education and active recess time are at an all-time low. Read More.

Millions of years of evolution—not our parenting mistakes—make boys the way they are.

If your son's anti-social behavior is actually dangerous, or makes it impossible to learn in a classroom, consultation with a doctor may be in order.

But minor-league annoyances like yelling "poop" in the library, composing incessant potty word limericks at the dinner table, or backtalking to Grandma? He'll almost certainly grow out of it. Read More.

The fact that Tommy is having trouble in preschool is not surprising, nor is it an indication of a fundamental problem. There is an entire subset of boys who are not ready for circle time, for rigid transitions, for following complex directions or listening to a lot of talk until well past their sixth birthdays. The problem isn't the boys, it's our expectations of them.

Moreover, I told Sandy that in six months or so Tommy would be a completely different little boy from the one careening around my office. I told her that it was likely that the areas of his brain that control impulses were developing more slowly in him than in his peers. But I also told her that there was no evidence in the behavior checklist that this would be a problem for him in the long run. My aim was to convince Sandy to stop worrying, to buy Tommy some time. Book Info.